Stiletto Nails

I was recently looking at some nail pics on Instagram and it got my thinking about the current nail trend, Stiletto Nails. While I get the appeal of this trend it's just not my cup of tea. They don't seem very practical for day to day and I'm afraid of stabbing myself in the eye.

I personally prefer a short rounded nails. I just like the way the look, simple, classic and chic. I also like to try fun colors as well as classic colors. I love glitter, textured polish and nail strips. But the current nail trend made me back away slowly. It can easily look tacky. For now I think I will just stick to my short rounded nails. Not to mention the fact my husband would probably be afraid to sleep next to me if I had sharp pointy nails!

Beauty Haul Video

New beauty haul video is up on the LizzyandEve channel! Hope you'll check it out! http://youtu.be/T51pTiUoVFo Please subscribe for future posts!

Sephora vs Ulta Perks

So this year for the first time ever I reached VIB status at Sephora and Platinum status at Ulta. And in comparing the rewards and perks I realized that one reward program stood out to me in particular.

So in case you're not familiar with the rewards programs I'll explain what they are. At Sephora you register for their Beauty Insider program. Every time you make a purchase you give them your card or email address and you get 1 point for every $1 spent. You get a gift in your birthday month. You save up your points and when you hit 100 points they have deluxe samples at the check out that you can trade in for. And they also occasionally have 250 point perks and 500 point perks as well. Once your spend $350 in a calendar year you qualify for VIB status. This elevated status gives you access to pre-sales, special gifts and promotions. Example of 100 point perks are small perfume samples, a mini lipstick or nail polish etc. Example of a 250 point perk is a bag with several samples in it or a phone case. And a 500 point perk I saw recently was a Tarte goody bag with samples of a mascara, oil, cream eyeshadow, blush and a finishing powder or a mini bottle of perfume. You can earn points both online and in store.  

At Ulta they have UltaMate Rewards. You use your card or phone number for your membership. At the initial level you earn 1 point for every dollar spent. Now I do know that how the rewards vary from state to state. In my state you get a discount off of your purchase with your points. For example 100 points gets you $3.00 of your purchase. The great thing about these points is they can be used on high end cosmetics! In other regions they have a points level you reach that gets your free stuff like a free nail polish etc. You also get special member only offers, discounts and you can earn points for online purchases as well as in store purchases. The points expire at the end of the quarter one year after you earned them.

Now once you spend $350 in a calender year you become a Platinum Rewards member. You earn 1.25 points for every dollar spent. You get a birthday gift and as long as you maintain your platinum level your points never expire.

Now this year I hit the levels at both Sephora and Ulta and the perks have been dramatically different. At Sephora one I hit VIB status I got a welcome kit that gave me a 10% of my entire purchase coupon, a free shipping coupon and a free makeup consultation. And recently there was a promotion that gave me 3x the points for my purchase. I eventually racked up enough points to get one of the Tarte 500 point perks.

At Ulta once I was near Platinum I got an email I got an email for a bonus 250 points if I made a $35 purchase. This was in addition to my 1.25 points per dollar. 250 points = $8.00 off my next purchase. Pretty sweet deal. Took advantage of that. Then in August I got an email for 3x's the points all month long. Picked up a few necessities. Then this past Monday I got the mother of all deals. 10x's the points on any online purchase for one day only. My jaw dropped open, my heart started beating a little faster. I had just made a purchase the week before with my 3x's the points. Should I make another purchase? Then I did the math. A $100 purchase would get me 1000 points. 1000 points = $50 off my next purchase. That's like getting 50% off! It was a no brainer. I went ahead and splurged on a couple of high end items I'd had my eye on. Since becoming Platinum in the month of July I've gotten enough points to get $142.50 worth of free stuff. It has become clear to me that Ulta has the best rewards program for me. Now granted Sephora carry's several brands that Ulta does not but for the items I can get at Ulta it is totally worth it!

What do you think? Which rewards program has worked better for you?

YouTube

My sister Eve and I decided to start a channel and talk beauty. Please check us out and subscribe! We should be posting new videos shortly. We will be collaborating on some of the videos but others will be individual ones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWPbzxo-2zY Hope you're having a wonderful day!

July Favorites

My sister and I started a new channel on YouTube. We are both makeup junkies and decided to brave the YouTube world together and put ourselves out there. Our first video was July Favorites. Check it out. And hopefully you will subscribe for future videos.We were nervous and need to figure out our lighting and camera but I think it was a decent start :-).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWPbzxo-2zY

I need help...

You know you are a serious makeup addict when you want to be left alone with your makeup. Let me explain. Yesterday I went over to Ulta. I walked in the door clutching my 3x's the points coupon; I was prepared to do some damage. My main goal that day was to get a couple of the new Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks. But as I was walking in the door I happened upon a display of the new OPI San Francisco collection. And the polish that stopped me in my tracks was Alcatraz. It's one of the liquid sand polishes in a gorgeous gunmetal grey shade. I had to have it. So I finally made it over to the lipsticks. I had three colors picked out from a previous swatching trip at Sephora. I had my heart set on Jilted, Catfight and 69. Then instead of deciding on a few and making my way to the checkout I start looking at the entire collection. And next thing you know I'm swatching away like a madwoman. Then I add another shade to my list of wants. Eventually I walked away with Jilted, Catfight and Fiend and a matching Jilted lip liner.

When I got home my husband was already there. And for some strange reason I wanted to be alone when I opened my goodies. And he wasn't going anywhere so my goodies sat in my bright orange Ulta bag. Lonely and waiting. This morning I grabbed one of the lipsticks and threw it in my purse. I was alone in the office at work and I could finally open the box. I felt like such a junkie lol. I carefully looked over the gorgeous packaging. Then I carefully opened the tube. The color I bought with is Fiend. It is not the type of color I normally go for but I loved it when I swatched it; it's a muted blue based rose shade. So I apply it, gaze in the mirror, I love the color and the formula. Can't wait to go home and be alone with the other shades. Don't judge me.

Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer Review

About two months ago one of my favorite beauty bloggers posted a picture of the Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer's and I just about fell out of my chair. A quick internet search confirmed what I suspected. These were the "Apocalips" that all the UK bloggers were raving about. I was beyond excited! I heard that they were available at Walgreen's and after work I drove straight to Walgreen's and was thrilled to discover an untouched display of all the colors. So I picked up a few and headed home ecstatic. I immediately tried them on when I got home. Wow. Loved the color and the pigmentation. They felt so smooth and were shiny. I happily sat around my apartment watching TV and when I passed a mirror was horrified to discover that I had the lacquer all over my teeth. At the time I figured I had perhaps touched the wand to my teeth when I put it on.

Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Stellar.

Sadly this has been my experience each and every time I try and wear any of the three colors I own. I've tried so many different methods. Someone even suggested I needed to apply it and then stick my finger in my mouth and close my lips around it to avoid getting it on my teeth (mind you I've never had to do that before and have never had lipstick on my teeth). But despite how unladylike like that seemed to me to do in public, when you need to touch up, I figured I'd try it. But it didn't help. One day I somehow had the lacquer on my teeth, nose and cheek!

Ugh look at how beautifully pigmented it is!

I tried putting on a super thin layer. I even tried sitting around with my mouth open hoping it would dry lol (very attractive). But unfortunately nothing I've tried has worked. The most workable thing I found was blotting it down till only the stain is left but at that point you lose the shine.

I'm really sad these didn't work out for me. 

I have to give it a thumbs down. It does not work for me. Wish I'd kept the receipts. I love the way they look and have worn them a couple of times but I have to keep checking my teeth in the mirror and ain't nobody got time for that. It's a deal breaker for me especially when I have so many other lip products that I don't have to keep checking up on.

I'd be interested to hear all of your thoughts on The Show Off Lip Lacquers!

Maybelline Color Tattoo's

Today I felt compelled to talk about the Maybelline Color Tattoo's. For anyone who isn't familiar with them they are similar to the MAC Paint Pots. They are a creamy texture that once applied set to a budge proof, smudge proof finish. These are great to use as a primer or base for other shadows but they also work great on their own. They come in a variety of colors and seasonal colors are released as well. 

They all have a shimmer/metallic finish. A few of the limited editions are duo chrome. But the finish and shine is gorgeous and workable. I personally used to shy away from anything with any shimmer and shine but these are beautiful. 

Bad to the Bronze

As the name implies it is a gorgeous bronze color. Very sexy and chic. 

Lavish Lavender

One of my favorite shades. This one is a limited edition released this spring. Beautiful dusty lavender. 

Inked In Pink

A beautifully rosy pink shade. No to dark not to light. 

Waves of White

This another spring limited edition. It is a duo chrome shade. Depending on how the light hits it, it looks frosty white and shifts to an icy blue. 

Barely Branded

One of the most versatile shades, it is a nice neutral beige with a metallic sheen. 

Top Row: Bad to the Bronze, Lavish Lavender & Inked in Pink

Bottom Row: Waves of White & Barely Branded

If you've ever been curious to try the Mac Paint Pots I highly recommend these. At $6.99 each these are a steal! If you have and love your MAC Paint Pots give these a shot. They have a pretty nice variety of shades and I'm always on the lookout for new colors to add to my collection! 

Skincare

So as a jumping off point I guess I'll start with discussing my current skincare routine. I have a few skin issues. I have rosacea and I also have eczema on my body (mainly legs and arms). I have normal skin, not dry not oily but I can get a little shiny in the t-zone. I am prone to blemishes primarily the painful cystic pimples.

I use Paula's Choice products. I am a huge fan of her products. For my cleanser I currently use the Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser. It's just perfect for my skin, leaves it feeling clean and fresh but not tight.

After I wash my face I follow with Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner. I just moisten a cotton round with the toner and gently apply it to my face and neck. I like this toner because it hydrates and leaves my skin feeling great and I like that it helps with breakouts.

After that dries I apply Skin Perfecting 1% BHA Lotion Exfoliant. I cannot live without this lotion/exfoliator. It keeps my rosacea in check. I've never had to use a prescription product because this product has done wonders for my skin. Keeps it clear and smooth and has helped with the redness from rosacea. If you have problems with redness and or rosacea I highly recommend this product.

I don't require a separate moisturizer usually because my skin is not dry but sometimes in the winter if my skin starts to feel a little dry I love the Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer. Usually just a pea size amount or a little more is all it takes. I just smooth it on with my finger tips. This lotion leaves my skin feeling silky smooth every time. It just sinks right into the skin.

I discovered Paula's Choice after using another company's very popular skin care line. I couldn't understand why my skin was tight and irritated even after I followed their routine religiously. The sale's lady at the counter told me I just had to give my skin time to "build up" to tolerate the product. The toner would sting and burn every time I applied it. I was very unhappy with the results. And due to this irritation my rosacea flared up and my skin was super red, itchy and irritated. I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and came across Paula's Choice website. It was the answer to my prayers. Paula Begoun the founder is passionate about skin care products that do what they say they are going to do. She gives you clinical research done on her products. And she even understands that sometimes a product doesn't work for everyone. So she offers an unconditional 60 day money back guarantee. Now that is incredible!

If you are interested in purchasing Paula's Choice Products here is a link to receive $10 your purchase of $15 or more!

Introduction

Welcome! I'm new to blogging but eager to join the community and connect. I am your average girl who loves beauty, cooking and reading. I have recently reconnected with my love of beauty products. It's exciting to discover all the products that are out there. I love to cook for fun and I'm always up for trying something new. I love to read but have recently hit a rut so any book recommendations would be awesome.

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